are the dominant sources of organic matter and fine particulate matter (PM₂₅).

Black carbon tends to be released at higher temperatures and contains mostly pure (elemental) carbon. Organic carbon contains additional materials and is more complex. Bioaerosols are a form of organic carbon, biological fragments of living microbial, fungal, animal, and plant sources. Microplastics are synthetic polymer chains that are carbon-based. Organic matter can influence the atmospheric radiation